The present invention relates generally to an iron-type golf club head and more particularly to an iron-type golf club head having a single bridge member which employs point loads for weight distribution on its rear surface for influencing the trajectory of a ball struck by the golf club head.
While many of the known club head designs are merely ornamental, some club head designs are claimed to provide a player with some degree of control over the trajectory of a ball struck by the club head or to provide a more xe2x80x9cbalancedxe2x80x9d club head. These game improvement clubs generally encompass a variety of materials and mass/weight distribution patterns. The main purpose for the design of most of these balanced club heads is to improve consistency and performance.
The art is replete with examples of iron-type golf club heads that include features such as club heads having a single cavity on the back, club heads having a single stepped cavity on the back, club heads having a single cavity and one or more weights on the back, club heads having a single cavity on the back surrounded by a sectionalized peripheral belt, club heads having two or more cavities on the back, and club heads having one or more weights disposed within a closed cavity.
The present inventor""s earlier U.S. Design Pat. D371,182 discloses a dual-cavity iron-type golf club head having on its back surface an upper larger cavity separated from a lower smaller cavity. Further, the dual cavity club head does not operate similar to the club heads of the present invention since it does not employ point loads for weight distribution.
Antonius (U.S. Pat. No. 4,826,172) discloses an iron-type golf club head having two equally-sized bridge members spaced away from the back of the club head and attached to the peripheral belt surrounding the back of the club head. The two bridge members of equal mass must be disposed on opposite sides of and be equally spaced from the center of percussion. This type of construction provides a club head having a striking face with a softer feel; however, this club head fails to impart any significant effect upon or control of the trajectory of a ball struck by the club head, i.e., Antonius fails to disclose a club head having a single bridge member spaced away from the back of the club head, wherein the position, shape and/or mass of the bridge member influences the trajectory of a ball struck by the club head.
Known iron-type golf club heads generally address the issue of controlling golf ball trajectory by altering club head mass distribution; however, none of the known art discloses an iron-type golf club head according to the present invention which comprise a single bridge member attached to a peripheral belt surrounding a cavity on the back of the club head, wherein the bridge-member superposes the cavity and influences the trajectory of a golf ball struck by the club head.
The present invention comprises an iron-type golf club head having a single bridge member along its back surface for influencing the trajectory of a ball struck by the golf club head. By strategically attaching the ends of the bridge member to a peripheral belt surrounding a single cavity in the back of the club head, the club head will propel a golf ball in a predetermined direction when the ball is struck by the center of percussion of the golf ball-striking surface of the golf club head.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the iron-type golf club head having a solid metal body of a defined weight comprises:
face defined by a substantially flat first plane and including a golf ball-striking surface with a center portion;
heel having an upwardly extending hosel for receiving one end of an elongated shaft;
toe opposite and taller in height than the heel, the face being interposed the toe and the heel;
a sole interposed the heel and the toe and disposed below the face;
a top-line interposed the heel and the toe and superposed the sole and the face;
a back defined by a second plane which is inclined relative to the first plane defining the face, the back being opposite the face and having a single open cavity, the cavity extending toward the face and covering a majority of the back, the cavity having a first larger portion adjacent the toe and a second smaller portion adjacent the heel;
a peripheral belt surrounding the cavity of the back and including a toe perimeter portion, a heel perimeter portion, a sole perimeter portion, a top-line perimeter portion and junction perimeter portions interposed adjacent ones of the toe, heel, sole and top-line perimeter portions, wherein a majority of the weight of the club head is disposed within the peripheral belt; and
a single bridge member spaced from the back, superposed a portion of the cavity and disposed along the second plane defining the back, the bridge member comprising a first end attached to one of the top-line, heel, toe, sole and junction perimeter portions and a second end attached to one of the top-line, heel, toe, sole and junction perimeter portions;
wherein the trajectory of a ball struck by the center of the golf-ball-striking surface of the face is influenced by the location of the bridge member.
According to preferred embodiments of the present invention, the bridge member comprises a first lower density metal and a second higher density metal. In other preferred embodiments, the bridge member comprises at least 5-20%, more particularly at least 15%, of the total weight of the club head.
In still other embodiments, the first and second ends of the bridge member are attached to the peripheral belt as follows:
a) the first and second ends of the bridge member are attached to the top-line perimeter portion;
b) the first and second ends of the bridge member are attached to the sole perimeter portion;
c) the first end of the bridge member is attached to the top-line perimeter portion and the second end of the bridge member is attached to any one of the toe, sole, heel and junction perimeter portions;
d) the first end of the bridge member is attached to the sole perimeter portion and the second end of the bridge member is attached to any one of the toe, heel and junction perimeter portions;
e) the first end of the bridge member is attached to the heel perimeter portion and the second end of the bridge member is attached to any one of the toe and junction perimeter portions;
f) the first end of the bridge member is attached to the toe perimeter portion and the second end of the bridge member is attached to any one of the junction perimeter portions; and
g) the first end of the bridge member is attached to one of the junction perimeter portions and the second end of the bridge member is attached to a different one of the junction perimeter portions.
According to another preferred embodiment, the invention provides an iron-type golf club head having a solid metal body comprising:
a face defined by a substantially flat first plane and including a golf-ball-striking surface with a center portion, the face having an opposing rear surface;
a back defined by a second plane which is inclined relative to the first plane defining the face, the back being opposite the face and having a single open cavity extending toward the face and covering a majority of the back, the cavity having a first larger portion adjacent the toe and a second smaller portion adjacent the heel;
a peripheral belt surrounding the cavity of the back and including a toe perimeter portion, a heel perimeter portion, a sole perimeter portion, a top-line perimeter portion and junction perimeter portions interposed adjacent ones of the toe, heel, sole and top-line perimeter portions, wherein a majority of the weight of the club head is disposed within the peripheral belt; and
a single bridge member superposed a portion of the cavity, spaced away from the rear surface of the face, and disposed along the second plane defining the back, the bridge member comprising a first end attached to one of the top-line, heel, toe, sole and junction perimeter portions and a second end attached to one of the top-line, heel, toe, sole and junction perimeter portions;
wherein the trajectory of a ball struck by the center of the golf ball-striking surface of the face is influenced by the shape, orientation, weight, thickness, width, disposition, or center of mass of the bridge member.
According to yet another preferred embodiment, the invention provides an iron-type golf club head comprising:
a peripheral belt surrounding a cavity defined by a rear surface in the back of the club head; and
a single bridge member superposing and spaced away from the rear surface, the bridge member having two ends, each attached to the peripheral belt;
wherein the shape, orientation, weight, thickness, width, disposition, or center of mass of the single bridge member effects the disposition of the moment of inertia of the club head and influences the trajectory of a ball struck by the club head.
The present invention provides a simple and versatile system for influencing the trajectory of a golf ball struck by an iron-type golf club head. According to a preferred embodiment of the system of the present invention, the system comprises:
an iron-type, solid body golf club head comprising a substantially planar face having a golf ball-striking surface with a center portion, a back opposite the face having a single large cavity extending toward the face, a peripheral belt having respective perimeter portions connecting the face and the back and surrounding the cavity; and
a single bridge member spaced from the back and superposed a portion of the cavity, the bridge member comprising first and second ends each attached to a perimeter portion of the peripheral belt;
wherein the trajectory of a ball struck by the golf ball striking surface of the golf club head is influenced by the bridge member.
The present invention also provides a method of preparing an iron-type golf club head having a bridge member for influencing the trajectory of a golf ball struck by the club head. Thus, in one preferred embodiment, the present invention is a method of preparing a bridge-back, iron-type golf club head comprising the steps of:
providing an iron-type, solid body golf club head comprising a substantially planar face having a golf ball-striking surface with a center portion, a back opposite the face having a single large cavity extending toward the face, a peripheral belt having respective perimeter portions connecting the face and the back and surrounding the cavity;
providing a bridge member having first and second ends; and
attaching each of the first and second ends to a perimeter portion of the peripheral belt such that the bridge member superposes a portion of the cavity.
Each aspect and embodiment of the invention provides unique and advantageous features which overcome most, if not all, of the disadvantages of and which are substantially different than known devices and methods.